The Problem of Motivation in the Education of the Mentally Retarded

One possible reason for the failure to demonstrate the efficacy of self contained classes for the EMR lies in the failure of such classes to balance the emphasis on motivational and cognitive variables. Several motivational variables have been isolated experimentally and the research findings have been interpreted to suggest that children who have experienced excessive amounts of failure dramatically differ from children with little history of failure on these variables. Three specific motivational variables are discussed and the related research evidence presented. The variables are (a) expectancy for failure, (b) outer-directedness, and (c) positive and negative reaction tendencies. Implications are drawn and suggestions made regarding ways of dealing with these behaviors.